Australia and Catholic Church ‘Failed’ Abused Children, Inquiry Finds In addition to calling for the establishment of a National Office for Child Safety, the commission urged passage of laws that penalize those who fail to alert the police if they suspect an adult "was sexually abusing or had sexually abused a child." Delving into sensitive territory for the Catholic Church, the report recommended that clergy be required to report suspected abuse that they hear in the confessional booth. 14, 2017 SYDNEY, Australia — A royal commission investigating the sexual abuse of children in Australia found Friday that the nation was gripped by an epidemic dating back decades, with tens of thousands of children sexually abused in schools, religious organizations and other institutions. Catholic said that Tens of thousands of children have been sexually abused in many Australian institutions, The commission, the highest form of investigation in Australia, urged government action on its 189 recommendations, including the establishment of a new National Office for Child Safety and penalties for those who suspect abuse and fail to alert the police, including priests who hear about abuse in confessionals. " the report said. that Our inquiry revealed numerous cases where leaders of religious institutions knew about allegations of child sexual abuse but failed to take effective action, often with catastrophic consequences for children, The panel also recommended that the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference pressure the church’s leadership in Rome to "consider introducing voluntary celibacy for diocesan clergy," saying that mandatory celibacy for priests contributed to child abuse.
